Comfort
by Krys33
Summary: Rory's death deeply affects the lives of her loved ones. [LL, multichap.]
1. I'll Be Your Crying Shoulder

A/N: I wrote the majority of this a while back, but just re-discovered it today. This can be at whatever time you like, as long as Luke and Lorelai haven't gotten together romantically yet. So use your imaginations, people! Yes, it is sad… But no, it's not a one-shot! You're surprised, huh?

Disclaimer: They're not mine, even though I want them to be.

_Dedication: This one goes out to J.Stone, who gave me a lot of praise and encouragement as well as honest and well-meant criticism. He's the reason I'm writing this multi-chaptered story. Thanks so, so much for your thoughts. They mean a lot!_

--

"Just… stay until I fall asleep."

-Maggie, 'City of Angels'

--

Rory was gone.

Her sweet, baby girl, was gone.

It had been a day like any other when the phone shrill ring echoed through the house. She only remembered one sentence of the conversation.

"_There's been an accident."_

She could remember wondering how the man could sound so calm. Her daughter was dead, and they made it seem like it didn't matter. Like they just wanted to get the call over with so they could go home and eat dinner. It infuriated her, and she slammed the phone down.

Before the tears could come, she called her parents. She shakily recounted the story and asked them to plan the funeral. She knew she could never do it, and she knew they would accept. They owed her. She'd planned Gran's funeral.

Of course they'd do it, they said. Anything for Rory.

Once she'd hung up, she'd no longer had to sound composed. She wobbled over to the couch, hardly able to keep her balance. After flopping facedown onto the familiar lumpy surface, she let the tears come. She couldn't keep them in any longer.

And there she stayed for two days. Never eating. Barely sleeping. Just lying, thinking, and crying. When she finally fell into a decent sleep, a sharp knocking at the door awoke her. She glanced at a clock. It was ten. Who the hell was knocking on her door at ten o'clock at night?

Lorelai stood to answer the door, and immediately became dizzy. She steadied herself on the arm of the couch. Suddenly she realized how hungry she was. She pushed this thought aside, wiped her eyes, and went to the door.

Lorelai pulled it open, and there was Luke. He took in her red-rimmed eyes and bedraggled appearance and stepped inside, closing the door behind him.

"What's wrong?" he asked her, and this question brought everything back. She began to sob again.

Luke put a comforting arm around her waist and led her to the couch to sit. She lowered herself onto it, and then put her face in her hands. He moved his arm to around her shoulder.

"Lorelai, what's wrong?" he repeated. He was worried.

"Rory…" she managed to choke out between sobs.

"What happened to Rory?" Luke asked, panic now creeping into his voice.

Lorelai leaned into his shoulder, her tears leaving a wet patch on his shirt. She mumbled her answer into the flannel. All that Luke understood was 'gone', 'accident', and a word that may have been the first half of 'hospital'. He pieced everything together and wanted to cry himself. But he kept it together. Lorelai needed him right now.

Luke sat with her until the tears stopped. He then inquired as to when she last ate. She told him she couldn't remember. He took her into the kitchen with the intention of cooking her a meal.

As she sat at the table, he looked through her pantry and refrigerator. All he could find was a half-full carton of eggs.

"Don't you have any real food?" he asked.

"I guess I haven't been to Doose's in awhile."

Luke cooked her some eggs and returned the rest to the refrigerator. They sat across the table from each other in silence as Lorelai ate.

Lorelai paused between bites. "Why did you come? I mean, there was no way you could've known…" she trailed off.

"I didn't. I just figured… I mean, you hadn't been to the diner in a couple days, so I called Sookie. She said you hadn't been to work either. I figured something was up, so I came over here."

She smiled, touched by his concern. "You know me so well."

At this he just nodded. Lorelai took her time finishing her meal. Luke cleared her plate and walked her upstairs, insisting that she get some sleep.

As she snuggled down under the sheets, he turned to leave, flipping off the lights on his way out. She called out to him just as the door had clicked shut. He swung the door open again, sticking his head into her room. "Yeah?"

"Could you…" she was immediately embarrassed, but she'd already begun. She couldn't stop now. "Could you… stay until I fall asleep? Please?" she added.

Luke nodded. "Sure." He then leaned awkwardly against the doorframe.

Upon seeing this, Lorelai laughed for the first time since she'd gotten the news. The noise sounded awkward as it broke through the silence. She patted the bed next to her. "I don't have cooties." She joked.

Somewhat surprised at this invitation, he slowly removed his boots and sat on the bed next to Lorelai, leaning his back against the wall.

"I can't believe she's gone…" Lorelai whispered after a few moments of silence.

"I know." He whispered back to her.

"How can I go on without her?" Lorelai's voice cracked.

"Shhh." He comforted. "It'll be okay." Luke lowered himself down next to her and held her close to his chest as she sobbed. "It'll be okay."

--

Luke awoke the next morning, slightly disoriented. He looked around for a moment before discovering he was at Lorelai's house. In her bedroom, no less.

He felt something move next to him. Looking over, he realized Lorelai was curled up next to him, asleep. He took a deep breath. It had to be a dream.

After taking a closer look at Lorelai, he noticed her tear-stained cheeks and the still-damp spot on his shirt.

Suddenly, he remembered.

His eyes watered at the memory. _Rory…_ He hurriedly pushed this aside. Lorelai was his priority right now. She needed his help.

But what was he supposed to do?

--

To Be Continued…

The rest of this story is in no way planned out. So suggestions, etc. are always welcomed and appreciated.

Please review!


	2. Take My Hand

A/N: Thanks to everyone for the reviews! 16! That's the most I've ever gotten on the first chapter of a story. I'm impressed! I'm glad people are enjoying this.

Disclaimer: I don't own them, I didn't create them, and I don't profit from them, but I'd love to buy them all coffee. (I stole this disclaimer from one of _forensicsfan_'s stories cause it made me laugh!)

Marcel-Marceau-chicken: I couldn't help but give you a shout-out because you said 'copper boom' and it made me laugh! Thanks for your review!

Molly: Thanks for the suggestions! I may try to tie a few of those into my story for you.

_Charmedchic72: Here you are again! Thanks so much for reviewing so many of my stories! I'm sorry that you're cold…I'm cold, too, if that makes you feel any better! _

_And last, but definitely not least, to J.Stone: Thanks again! You're encouragement has been a big help. (I'll try to maybe write something happy for you after this…)_

--

"The most amazing thing was, the day after she died, there were still buildings. The streets were still full of cars. People walked around. They didn't seem to realize that my whole world had just vanished."

-Arthur, Just Like Heaven (previously If Only It Were True) by Mark Levy

--

Luke surveyed his surroundings as he weighed his options.

He could leave. Sure, he did need to get back to the diner. But that could wait, couldn't it? After all, he did own the place. And it was obvious that Lorelai needed him there. No way could she take care of herself in this condition.

Staying seemed to be his only choice. Things could only get worse if he left.

His earlier question repeated itself.

What was he supposed to do?

Coffee. He should make coffee. Because if there was one thing he was positive about concerning Lorelai Gilmore, it was her caffeine addiction.

Luke slowly inched toward the edge of the bed, careful not to disturb Lorelai. She needed as much sleep as she could get. He managed to get off the bed and out the bedroom door without waking her.

He treaded softly down the stairs, careful not to make any noise. When he reached the kitchen, he spotted Rory's open door, exposing her room, lit by the morning sun. He slowly walked over to it, and took a moment to just look over her room. After a while, he shut the door quietly, for Lorelai's sake, and for his own.

Once he was back in the kitchen, he filled the coffee pot with the slow stream of water pouring from the faucet. After starting up the coffee maker, he stared without really watching as the brown liquid trickled into the awaiting pot, busy with his own thoughts.

In the back of his mind, he knew what the truth was. Rory was gone. But somehow, he'd refused to truly accept it. Subconsciously, he had the childish thought that if he denied the existence of the situation, it would somehow disappear.

--

Upstairs, Lorelai awoke to the early rays of sunlight streaming through her window. Looking around her, she realized that Luke was gone. Perhaps it had been a dream…? Keeping hold to the strand of hope that the last two days had just been a figment of her sleeping mind, she walked down the stairs, aiming for Rory's bedroom.

The sight of Luke in the kitchen, though, forced her to let go of the hope she'd been clinging to so tightly. It hadn't been just a bad dream after all.

She padded up behind Luke softly, noticing that he was deep in thought, gazing at the steadily filling coffee pot with a blank expression. She stood a few feet behind him, watching him think. After a few minutes, she touched him lightly on the arm. He jumped slightly, startled. Lorelai commented quietly, "Coffee's done."

Luke looked over at the machine. "Oh." He hadn't noticed. Lorelai took a seat at the kitchen table as Luke grabbed a cup from the cabinet and poured her some coffee.

After a few sips, Lorelai stood, feeling restless. Coffee cup in hand, she wandered to the window. She leaned against the counter, staring out into the street.

Kids ran back and forth across the street, laughing, as their parents watched smiling from the porches. Patty and Babette passed by, chatting animatedly on their way over the Dell's house. She turned to Luke, who had taken her vacated seat at the table. "Nobody knows, do they?" He shook his head, unable to answer with words.

Lorelai looked down, unable to bear watching the happiness of the people outside, when she could barely work up a smile. It seemed odd to her that everything could go on so normally when such a large piece of her life had been ripped away.

Suddenly, she didn't feel like walking around anymore.

She returned to her seat at the table.

"Do you think… you could tell them?" she asked. Lorelai was unable to meet his gaze as she asked such a serious question, so instead she stared into the swirling black liquid resting in her mug.

Luke took a deep breath. "Of course." He told her. Her well-being meant more than his discomfort. "Of course." He repeated, this time just convincing himself.

--

After informing Lorelai of his departure and promising to bring a real lunch back with him, he headed off to the diner.

He entered his establishment, and without so much as a friendly nod in anyone's direction, Luke immediately went into the kitchen. Swiftly, he informed Caesar that he and Lane would be in charge for the next few days, that he had an 'emergency' to attend to. He seemed willing enough to do the job, but Luke swore he heard Caesar muttering about a raise as he rushed back out the door.

Following a quick stop at Doose's for provisions, he headed straight back to the Gilmore household. Halfway there, he ran into Patty, who seemed to be on her way back to her dance studio. They exchanged a friendly 'hello' and went on.

A moment after the greeting, he set down the bags and turned. "Patty?" he called.

She twisted her head back to him. "Yes, Luke?"

"I need you to pass something on for me." Without realized it, he'd begun wringing his hands nervously.

This got her antenna up. She quickly came back over. "What is it?"

"It's about… Rory." On this last word, he let out a breath that he didn't know he'd been holding.

Patty's brow furrowed slightly. "What about her?"

Luke didn't know how to say it. "There was a… She was in a…" He fixed his gaze at some unknown point right above her left shoulder as he said, "She's gone, Patty."

It took a second for the words to sink in. Once they did, Miss Patty was, for the first time she could remember, utterly speechless. After taking some time to regain her composure, she hurriedly wiped the tears that had been forming in her eyes, gave a firm nod, and told him, "I'll let everybody know."

Luke turned back, slightly misty-eyed, to pick up his bags. He blinked the tears away as he began his journey back to the Lorelai's house.

For the first time, he entered without knocking. It just felt natural, and he gave it no thought. He closed the door softly behind him before walking to the kitchen to put away the food. After setting the bags on the counter, he noticed that Rory's door – the one he'd shut so carefully before – was wide open again. He approached it cautiously, knowing full well what was going on.

Once he reached the doorway, he leaned on the frame for a moment, assessing the scene. Lorelai was seated on the floor, leaning up against the bed, every once in awhile a silent tear escaping from her eyes. Luke stepped over to her slowly, and lowered himself down next to her.

When he landed beside her, she reached over and grasped his hand with hers.

She wanted to make sure that he, at least, was still there.

--

To Be Continued

Remember reviews are loved and enjoyed, and suggestions welcomed and appreciated.


	3. Getting Through It

A/N: This chapter sure came out fast…

Ten reviews! So, the consensus seems to be that this story is 'sad but good'. A lot of you used those words… It's supposed to be sad, and I'm glad it's good!

Disclaimer: They're not mine, sorry. So if you want the rights, call up ASP.

Marcel-Marceau-chicken: Copper boom! Hee hee…

The Forgotten Gilmore: Thanks so much for your kind words!

J.Stone: I'm outstanding? Thank you!

--

"Maybe we just get through it. And that's all we can ask for."

-Bailey, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (the movie)

--

For the better part of an hour, they sat, her clutching his hand like a lifeline, reveling in the newfound empty silence of the bedroom. Lorelai sighed deeply. After another couple of seconds, Luke stood, pulling her upright with him. She immediately released his hand, finally realizing what she had been clinging to.

He placed his hand on her back and gently led her out of the room and to the kitchen table.

As she sat and stared at her hands, he began putting away the groceries and making her a sandwich, sneaking a piece of lettuce between the turkey slices. He slid the plate in front of her and she wordlessly began eating. It was then that he realized that they hadn't spoken since he'd returned to her house.

Luke sat down opposite her, watching her eat. "How're you doing?" He asked, in an effort to start up conversation and draw her out of whatever dark thoughts she was pondering.

She lifted her head and looked him straight in the eyes, cocking her head slightly. "My daughter's _dead_, Luke. How do you think I'm doing?" Lorelai spat bitterly.

He just blinked slowly, letting her spiteful words sink in as he wondered who the woman sitting at the table was. Because it certainly wasn't Lorelai Gilmore.

Across the table, she closed her eyes and put her head in her hands, rubbing her temples with the tips of her fingers. She met his gaze once more, an apologetic look shining in her now-dulled blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that. I'm just-"

Luke cut her off. "I know."

She sighed. "Everything's so messed up."

He repeated himself; for it was the only thing he could think to say. "I know."

Lorelai examined her partially eaten sandwich for a moment before looking up at him through her eyelashes, the tiniest of half-smiles on her face, and whispered almost inaudibly, "At least I'm not alone."

She always had been a glass-half-full kind of girl.

--

That afternoon, Lorelai napped as Luke stayed downstairs on her couch, staring at the black of the blank television screen, deep in thought yet again. He was occupied trying to picture a life without Rory, and as much as he hated admitting it, it wasn't a pretty picture. It would affect him, he knew, but it would affect Lorelai so much more. He'd seen that already.

The phone rang, jerking Luke out of his thoughts. He snatched it up, not wanting to awaken the sleeping woman upstairs. "Gilmore residence." It seemed the proper thing to say.

"Hello?"

The voice on the opposite end of the line sounded familiar. "Mrs. Gilmore?" Luke asked.

"Yes." She said, skeptically. "Who's this?"

"It's Luke Danes, Mrs. Gilmore."

Emily furrowed her brow slightly. "Why are you at my daughter's house?"

"I'm looking after Lorelai."

"My daughter is a full-grown woman, Mr. Danes. She is perfectly capable of looking after herself."

"I don't know if you've seen your daughter recently, but she's not in the best shape."

"May I speak to her?"

He could hear her impatience. "She's asleep. I could give her a message."

"Just tell her that the – the funeral will be on Friday. The church there, at noon." She tried to hide the fact that her voice had wavered the slightest bit halfway through her sentence.

"I'll tell her."

"Thank you. Goodbye, Luke."

"Goodbye, Mrs. Gilmore."

He returned the phone to the spot on the coffee table from which he'd grabbed it.

_Friday_. The day after tomorrow. Luke sighed deeply. Would he be ready?

--

For the rest of Lorelai's nap, Luke sat across from her bed in her desk chair, watching her sleep. Watching someone sleep had always sounded creepy to him, but somehow it seemed like the most natural thing in the world.

When she awoke, Lorelai saw him seated there. She did a quick double take. "Geez, Luke! You scared the shit out of me!"

He smiled slightly at her reaction. "Sorry."

She rubbed her eyes, waking herself up, as she asked, "Did I hear the phone ring earlier?"

Damn. He'd been hoping to put off telling her, at least until tomorrow. "Yeah."

"Well, who was it?"

"Your mother."

Her eyes widened just the smallest bit, but it was certainly noticeable. She knew her mother could only be calling about one thing. And it was the one thing she didn't want to hear about. But she wasn't going to just sit around in denial. "What'd she say?"

Luke gripped the arms of the chair tightly, bracing himself for the words he had to say. "The funeral's Friday."

Lorelai nodded slowly. That's what she'd figured. After a moment's silence, she spoke again. "I'm gonna take a shower."

He knew she didn't want to discuss it. "Okay. I'll be downstairs." And he promptly left the room.

By the time he reached the bottom of the steps, the water had already started running. He returned to his seat on the couch and, simultaneously, his thoughts.

--

Lorelai leaned against the wall of the shower, letting the scalding water run down her side. It hurt, yes, but not as much as everything else.

Could she do it? Could she go to the funeral? Would it be too much?

All the questions running through her head made her dizzy. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly, clearing her mind.

By the time she turned off the water, she'd come to a conclusion.

She'd just take it one day at a time.

Because all she can ask for is to just get through it.

--

To Be Continued…

Reviews and suggestions are welcome!


	4. When I Look at the Stars

A/N: Chapter 4! For anyone who cares, the first segment of this was written while I was being forced to watch the Grinch movie, and not the animated one. So to avoid watching Jim Carrey traipsing around in a furry green suit, I decided to work on my story.

Actually, on the last chapter I forgot to ask: How was I at writing Emily? I mean, I haven't used her character very much, and wanted to make sure she wasn't too out of it or anything. She's in this chapter, too. Feedback (positive _or _negative) would be great on that front.

Also, I don't know _everything _about funeral planning and such, but I know a great deal. I went through this a year ago. I know I'm only 14 (old to me, possibly young to you), but I'm gonna try to write this with as much accuracy as I can based on my history.

Sydney453: I was very glad to hear some constructive criticism. I do agree that Lorelai is a little OC and that she probably wouldn't just _accept _this. But for the purpose of this story, the L/L storyline, I had to have her need some help. And while her having to take control and see everything before she believes it would be likely, I think that this reaction would also be a possibility, seeing as she may be just… emotionally drained after such a huge loss.

Menghis: I'm flattered! Thanks for reading!

Charmedchic72: Huh… I hadn't thought of that yet. Where _is_ Chris? He was never around before, though. I'm gonna assume that Emily and Richard called him. I'll probably throw him in either in this chapter or the next. Thanks!

J.Stone: Hey, I make no promises! I will at least _try _to write some fluff. I cannot guarantee that it'll make your teeth hurt, however. But I will shoot for a tiny toothache.

(And here ends my obnoxiously long A/N.)

--

"You know what I like most about the stars? You look at them, at all of them up there ... and you just know there's gotta be something more than..."

"Life?"

"There has to be."

-Bailey and Tibby, Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants (the movie)

--

Luke left during her shower, leaving only a short note in his wake. He headed off to grab some clothes from his apartment. On his way back, he made sure to stop by Miss Patty's and inform her of the funeral date.

The entire way back he avoided eye contact with other citizens. He couldn't take the sympathetic, teary-eyed looks anymore. At a young age, he'd had his fill of them.

When he returned, he could still hear the water flowing.

She certainly had a lot to think about.

The second night was again spent in Lorelai's bed. She had repeated the question from the previous evening in the same small, shaking voice, while her eyes betrayed her and revealed her desperation.

During the day, Lorelai managed to evade thinking about her daughter. She tried her hardest to keep everything as close to 'normal' as she possibly could. But when night fell, she could no longer hide behind her well-built façade of wit and charm.

So Luke held her close to him as she cried herself to sleep with the foolish belief that everything would be better in the morning.

--

Lorelai tried in vain to force Thursday to pass as slowly as possible. She wanted to avoid the closure that a funeral would bring for as long as she could.

But this tactic seemed to backfire, however, and the day sped by like a blur. Before she knew it, she was standing in front of her open closet doors and 10:57 on Friday morning, damp hair pulled back and a robe wrapped around her, trying to figure out what the hell you're supposed to wear to your daughter's funeral.

By 11:15, she'd decided on a knee-length dress. But it wasn't black. It was bright red.

She knew she'd be bombarded with inquiries over her decision on her outfit. And she would counter them all by telling them that she knew her daughter wouldn't want her to be sad. So she was going to wear a colorful dress, trying to convey her hidden message across whatever barrier it is that exists between life and death.

Lorelai had never been really religious. But she did believe in God. Somehow she knew that there was something more beyond this. Maybe not heaven, exactly, but something.

And she knew that wherever her daughter was, she was happy.

--

She walked arm-in-arm with Luke, who gave no question to her choice in clothing. They arrived fifteen minutes early, making sure they were seated in the front row. After five minutes of silence, they rolled the casket in and set it up in the front of the church.

Staring at the dark wood of the elegant coffin, Lorelai took a deep breath. She would not – could not – cry. Tearing her eyes from the casket, Lorelai scanned the church. She spotted her mother standing in the doors of the church, greeting the guests, the majority of which she didn't even know.

Lorelai muttered a quick "I'll be right back," to Luke, who just nodded, before rising from her seat and striding down the aisle to speak with her mother.

"Thank God. I needed to – What are you wearing?" Emily asked.

"It's a dress."

"It's _red_." She glanced from her daughter's bright colors to her own black attire.

"I know, I'm sorry. I just don't look that great in yellow." Lorelai tried to joke, but her voice just didn't sell it.

Her mother ignored her feeble movie reference and continued with their conversation. "We need you to give the eulogy."

Lorelai's jaw dropped slightly, all thoughts of Joaquin Phoenix forgotten. "W-What?"

"You need to give the eulogy." Emily stated, as if her daughter were five years old.

She just shook her head, taking her time to form the right words. "I… can't." That was all she could come up with. The _eulogy_? What was her mother thinking?

"You have to, Lorelai." Her daughter needed to step up to the plate. She herself had done it before.

Lorelai shook her head again, more vehemently this time. "No way." She could hardly keep up her composure. Speaking about her daughter was out of the question.

"It's your obligation." Why wouldn't her daughter just _listen_ to her for once?

"I can't do it, mother!" Lorelai shouted. The room silenced as all the patrons turned to find the source of the sudden noise.

Emily's eyes widened at her daughter's appalling behavior as Lorelai's cheeks turned to the color of her dress. The younger Gilmore turned and headed back up the aisle to her seat, eyes fixed on the floor, embarrassed.

Lorelai slouched as she sat, resting her head on the back of the pew. She stared at the high ceiling. After a few minutes of thought, she felt a hand on her knee. She looked over at Luke, who quickly removed his hand, knowing he'd gotten her attention.

"It's, uh, starting," he told her. She nodded, being speechless.

Throughout the service, Lorelai kept her eyes trained on the crucifix hanging on the far wall. She half-listened to everything, afraid that if she paid full attention that she would break down. And that certainly couldn't happen, not in front of her mother, not in front of her town.

At some unidentifiable point during the service, she began resting her head on Luke's shoulder, needing to have physical proof of his support. When the funeral ended, she realized that, once again, she had been gripping Luke's hand like a lifeline. She didn't remember taking hold of it, but she was so glad she did.

Because without it, she would've been lost.

--

Luke took her home afterwards. Through the entire walk, not a word was spoken. It was as if they were soaking everything in. When they reached her front door, he broke the silence.

"I guess I'll see you around." He couldn't imagine not staying with her another night. It was amazing how routine it felt to be with her twenty-four hours a day, even though he'd never spent that much time with her before. He wrapped Lorelai in his arms one last time.

As he held her, he whispered, "It'll all be okay." He patted her back lightly before pulling away and heading back towards the street. Just as his foot was about to hit the driveway, her voice stopped him.

"Stay."

It was so quiet, he wasn't sure if she'd actually said a word. He turned to face her. The moment he saw the look of hope in her eyes, he knew he hadn't been hearing things.

Lorelai was frightened that he would leave her there alone, in this suddenly huge, empty house. He hadn't said a word, so she added an equally quiet, "Please?"

Luke smiled slightly before walking back to meet her.

Maybe he wouldn't have to go home after all.

--

To Be Continued…

Reviews are welcomed and appreciated!


	5. It's Terrible Not to Be Needed

A/N: This, my dears, is the last chapter. Yes, I'm sorry about it too. I was having a blast writing this. I hope you will all read the short one-shots that I'm bound to write after this. I may work on sequels to a few of my other stories, which may turn into some multi-chaptered stuff. I just don't know yet. But I look forward to reading reviews from those who reviewed this on other stories.

Marcel-Marceau-chicken: Copper boom:D

Charmedchic72: I like Teddy Grahams!

xlostangelx: Well, originally, in chapter one I said that this could be at anytime as long as Luke and Lorelai weren't together. But soon after I realized that I had brought up Lorelai's grandmother's death. And that would mean I'm left with this story being in the tiny window between 4:17 (Girls in Bikinis and Boys Doin' the Twist) and 4:19 (Afterboom). During that time, Rory wasn't dating anyone. So there wouldn't be a reaction of her boyfriend. Which makes writing this a tad easier, because it leaves me more room to focus on the L/L story line!

J.Stone: Couldn't stay away, huh: )

As stated in the dedication in chapter one, this story wouldn't have been possible without the amazing J.Stone. He has offered so much encouragement and constructive criticism to the majority of my stories, and he deserves some credit. Thanks, John!

--

"How do you deal?"

"You just do."

-Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes, CSI (2:18 – Chasing the Bus)

--

By the time Luke reached the top of the stairs, the door to his apartment was open and he could see Lorelai sitting at the kitchen table, her face in her hands, fingers tangled in the roots of her hair. He entered the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Slowly, he crossed the floor and sat opposite Lorelai at the table. Without lifting her head, she spoke. "How do you do it?"

Luke furrowed his brow. "Do what?"

"Deal with it." She knew he'd understand what she meant.

He took a deep breath. "You just do."

Lorelai sighed, raising her head to look into his eyes. "I feel _normal_. I don't want to feel normal. I shouldn't feel normal, dammit!" She exclaimed, slamming her palm on the table.

Luke knew deep down that she was trying to mask her sadness with anger. He exhaled slowly. "Life goes on. You can't stop that, you know."

"She was my _daughter_. Things shouldn't be able to just snap back to the way they were before."

He shook his head slowly. "They won't. Things will always be different. But you can't be sad forever."

Lorelai hung her head. "I know."

"She wouldn't want you to be sad." Luke spoke softly. They had an unspoken agreement: they never used Rory's name. Ever. They always just used the word 'she'.

And somehow they always understood whom they were speaking about.

Luke continued, even more softly, placing his hand over the one that rested limply on the table after her previous outburst. "I don't want you to be sad either."

Despite herself, Lorelai smiled, touched by his statement. This was a new side of Luke. She'd always known that there was a sweet, caring man under that gruff exterior of his.

And then Luke acted on something he'd never acted on before.

Impulse.

He gripped her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."

Lorelai smiled. She knew exactly where they were going.

--

She laced her fingers with his and rested her cheek on his shoulder as they gazed down at the smooth stone that marked Rory's grave. Lorelai had refused to let Rory be buried in the Gilmore crypt. She wanted Rory to have her own place, right here in Stars Hollow, where she belonged.

Lorelai held back tears, remembering Luke's statement from before. _"She wouldn't want you to be sad."_

She turned her head so that her forehead rested against the flannel of Luke's shirt. "You really think I'll be okay?"

He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist instead. "I really do." Luke kissed the top of her head lightly. So lightly, in fact, that she wasn't sure if he'd actually done it or not.

Lorelai sighed, and Luke could feel the warmth of her breath seep through the plaid he wore. "Thank you for being here." She whispered.

Luke smiled slightly as she pulled him in for a hug. "No problem." He whispered into her ear.

She took a step back and cocked her head slightly, seeming to examine him. His eyebrow arched in confusion. "What are you doing?" Luke asked.

Lorelai bit her lip in thought. "Making a decision." She tilted her head in the other direction, viewing him from a different angle.

"On what?"

She ignored him, continuing to stare.

"Lorelai, what-" He was getting irritated, and she could tell.

"Whether it's worth it."

Luke rolled his eyes. She was being so cryptic. "Whether _what_ is worth it?" Frustration was starting to surface in his voice.

Lorelai looked down at the grave for a moment, then back into Luke's eyes. The sparkle that had disappeared from her eyes all those weeks ago had returned. Little did he know, seeing that had returned the sparkle to _his _eyes too. She smiled and answered his question in a low voice. "This."

She leaned in and kissed him. Luke returned it immediately, closing the space between them in one swift step. After a moment, though, he pulled away.

Resting his forehead against hers, he looked her straight in the eye, his seriousness written in his gaze. "Are you sure about this?"

Much to his surprise, Lorelai laughed. Seeing his shock, she responded with a nod. "Positive."

Luke furrowed his brow, silently requesting an explanation for her amusement.

Lorelai grinned before sharing her recent realization. "Life is too short."

And she kissed him again, basking in the comfort he provided her.

--

The End

Reviews are not necessary, but always appreciated!


	6. Comfort

A/N: This, my dears, is the last chapter. Yes, I'm sorry about it too. I was having a blast writing this. I hope you will all read the short one-shots that I'm bound to write after this. I may work on sequels to a few of my other stories, which may turn into some multi-chaptered stuff. I just don't know yet. But I look forward to reading reviews from those who reviewed this on other stories.

Marcel-Marceau-chicken: Copper boom:D

Charmedchic72: I like Teddy Grahams!

xlostangelx: Well, originally, in chapter one I said that this could be at anytime as long as Luke and Lorelai weren't together. But soon after I realized that I had brought up Lorelai's grandmother's death. And that would mean I'm left with this story being in the tiny window between 4:17 (Girls in Bikinis and Boys Doin' the Twist) and 4:19 (Afterboom). During that time, Rory wasn't dating anyone. So there wouldn't be a reaction of her boyfriend. Which makes writing this a tad easier, because it leaves me more room to focus on the L/L story line!

J.Stone: Couldn't stay away, huh: )

As stated in the dedication in chapter one, this story wouldn't have been possible without the amazing J.Stone. He has offered so much encouragement and constructive criticism to the majority of my stories, and he deserves some credit. Thanks, John!

--

"How do you deal?"

"You just do."

-Greg Sanders and Nick Stokes, CSI (2:18 – Chasing the Bus)

--

By the time Luke reached the top of the stairs, the door to his apartment was open and he could see Lorelai sitting at the kitchen table, her face in her hands, fingers tangled in the roots of her hair. He entered the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Slowly, he crossed the floor and sat opposite Lorelai at the table. Without lifting her head, she spoke. "How do you do it?"

Luke furrowed his brow. "Do what?"

"Deal with it." She knew he'd understand what she meant.

He took a deep breath. "You just do."

Lorelai sighed, raising her head to look into his eyes. "I feel _normal_. I don't want to feel normal. I shouldn't feel normal, dammit!" She exclaimed, slamming her palm on the table.

Luke knew deep down that she was trying to mask her sadness with anger. He exhaled slowly. "Life goes on. You can't stop that, you know."

"She was my _daughter_. Things shouldn't be able to just snap back to the way they were before."

He shook his head slowly. "They won't. Things will always be different. But you can't be sad forever."

Lorelai hung her head. "I know."

"She wouldn't want you to be sad." Luke spoke softly. They had an unspoken agreement: they never used Rory's name. Ever. They always just used the word 'she'.

And somehow they always understood whom they were speaking about.

Luke continued, even more softly, placing his hand over the one that rested limply on the table after her previous outburst. "I don't want you to be sad either."

Despite herself, Lorelai smiled, touched by his statement. This was a new side of Luke. She'd always known that there was a sweet, caring man under that gruff exterior of his.

And then Luke acted on something he'd never acted on before.

Impulse.

He gripped her hand in his and pulled her to her feet. "Let's go."

Lorelai smiled. She knew exactly where they were going.

--

She laced her fingers with his and rested her cheek on his shoulder as they gazed down at the smooth stone that marked Rory's grave. Lorelai had refused to let Rory be buried in the Gilmore crypt. She wanted Rory to have her own place, right here in Stars Hollow, where she belonged.

Lorelai held back tears, remembering Luke's statement from before. _"She wouldn't want you to be sad."_

She turned her head so that her forehead rested against the flannel of Luke's shirt. "You really think I'll be okay?"

He released her hand and wrapped his arm around her waist instead. "I really do." Luke kissed the top of her head lightly. So lightly, in fact, that she wasn't sure if he'd actually done it or not.

Lorelai sighed, and Luke could feel the warmth of her breath seep through the plaid he wore. "Thank you for being here." She whispered.

Luke smiled slightly as she pulled him in for a hug. "No problem." He whispered into her ear.

She took a step back and cocked her head slightly, seeming to examine him. His eyebrow arched in confusion. "What are you doing?" Luke asked.

Lorelai bit her lip in thought. "Making a decision." She tilted her head in the other direction, viewing him from a different angle.

"On what?"

She ignored him, continuing to stare.

"Lorelai. What are you making a decision on?" He was getting irritated.

"Whether it's worth it."

Luke rolled his eyes. She was being so cryptic. "Whether _what_ is worth it?" Frustration was starting to surface in his voice.

Lorelai looked down at the grave for a moment, then back into Luke's eyes. The sparkle that had disappeared from her eyes all those weeks ago had returned. Little did he know, seeing that had returned the sparkle to _his _eyes too. She smiled and answered his question in a low voice. "This."

She leaned in and kissed him. Luke returned it immediately, closing the space between them in one swift step. After a moment, though, he pulled away.

Resting his forehead against hers, he looked her straight in the eye, his seriousness written in his gaze. "Are you sure about this?"

Much to his surprise, Lorelai laughed. Seeing his shock, she responded with a nod. "Positive."

Luke furrowed his brow, silently requesting an explanation for her amusement.

Lorelai grinned before sharing her recent realization. "Life is too short."

And she kissed him again, basking in the comfort he provided her.

--

The End

Reviews are not necessary, but always appreciated: )


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